Thrifty Thursday - Afghan Edition #1

I used to do Thrifty Thursdays once upon a time; thought I might try them again!

One thing I cannot resist in a thrift shop is a handmade afghan in good condition - probably because I know how much work goes into them!!!  I do have a few criteria before I buy:

1. No obvious stains (duh).
2. No aged-fuzzy yarn, matted yarn or lots of pills.
3. No loose or broken stitches.

I have one little thrift store nearby that gets new loads of blankets every month, and usually I can find a pretty afghan in good condition in it, for a ridiculous price!  The only issue is they are rolled up with masking tape (!) around them so I can't check them completely.  I have to take a chance, but they are cheap enough to do so!  Here are two of my recent finds:

This is an older afghan, I know - I showed it to my grandmother and she said she recognized the variegated yarn and is pretty sure they haven't made it since the eighties.  It has no stains at all and the yarn is only the tiniest bit fuzzy, mostly because I washed it.

Fresh out of the bath:

And spread out for a good look on a king-sized bed:

I don't care much for the short, stumpy fringe but the afghan is nice.  More of a throw in size.  My mother has claimed this one for her African-themed room, where it will fit in beautifully.

Cost - $2.00


This one is currently my best buy at a thrift shop; it is made with a smooth-textured sport weight yarn with a delicious rich sheen and subtle sparkles and is very heavy!  I would love to know what yarn this is.

It looked almost brand-new but had one tiny stain on it that I found later:

It doesn't show at all from the other side:

I'm going to try to wash it out with a mild spot-cleaner.

Cost - $2.50

I have more afghans - including a big knitted one - that I will show some other day.  I was just so pleased with these two I couldn't resist!